Eisner, the newly bicoastal law firm known for its focus on the entertainment industry, has added four lawyers in New York, including all three lawyers from the boutique firm of Tavel & Shulman.

Evan Krauss, formerly a name partner at Gray Krauss Sandler Des Rochers, is joining Eisner as a partner along with Andy Tavel and Dan Shulman. Jordan Gutglass, who worked at Tavel & Shulman, joined as an associate.

Les Corwin, Eisner's managing partner in New York, said he's known Tavel for decades, going back to their time together at Greenberg Traurig, where Shulman had been an associate. He said his former colleague was “the first person I ever thought about reaching out to” when he moved to Eisner.

“Fifteen months ago, when [firm chair] Michael Eisner and I made our deal for me to open an office for him in New York, and I brought a whole litigation group over from Blank Rome … what I really wanted to do was replicate in New York what [Eisner] has in Beverly Hills,” Corwin said.

Both Tavel and Kerry Smith, who joined Los Angeles-based Eisner last month from Greenspoon Marder, mentioned Krauss, whose clients come from the film, music and new media industries, as another possible addition to the firm, Corwin said. Tavel and Shulman focus on the music industry, counseling a mix of up-and-comers and developed talents, including the rapper G-Eazy and producer Boi-1da (think “boy wonder”).

Tavel said he and Shulman spent months weighing the prospect of joining Eisner, saying they benefited from the flexibility of running their own small firm. Life at such a small boutique had its shortcomings, though, such as the need to refer clients out of the firm for services they didn't offer. Now that they've joined Eisner, that problem is solved, Tavel said.

“The biggest downside—and we always made it work—is when you represent talent they have a need for trademark or tax or litigation … you have to find another lawyer in another law firm to handle that matter,” he said.

He added that most of his top clients pay on a percentage-of-income basis, rather than hourly. That may change down the road, he said, noting the ability to cross-sell his services to Eisner's clients and for lawyers in other practice areas at Eisner to now offer their own services, perhaps on an hourly basis, to Tavel & Shulman's old clients.

“I think it's a win-win all around,” Corwin said. “Obviously, we're comfortable with the fee arrangements that they had coming in.”

No one at Krauss' former firm could immediately be reached for comment on his departure.